Why Am I Fat? One Word for You: Plastics

Early exposure to chemicals found in common plastics could predispose a person to obesity, scientists suggest. Studies have shown that animals fed the chemicals, called endocrine disrupters, are fatter later in life than those who were not, the Boston Globe reports. Diet, exercise, and genetics are key factors, but "chemicals can play a role," says one scientist.

Endocrine disrupters act like hormones and help shape how a body makes and stores fat. Traces of one, Bisphenol A, which is found in baby bottles and water bottles, showed up in 93% of the US population in a recent study. It's especially problematic "on the front end of one's life where the rest of your life's physiology is being programmed," says a scientist. (More chemicals and obesity stories.)